Fox In Talks To Re-Adapt THE FLY

A concern of remakes: will it be as good as or better than the original? When David Cronenberg remade The Fly in 1986, not only did it exceed expectations but also became a quintessential example of the ‘body horror’ genre pioneered by the director. Now Fox is in talks with J.D. Dillard to “re-adapt” the film.

Based on a short story by George Langelaan, The Fly is the story of a scientist whose work backfires, causing him to mutate into a grotesque human fly. Kurt Newmann produced and directed the original 1958 film starring Vincent Price. Two sequels followed it: Return of the Fly (1959) and Curse of the Fly (1965). After the remake in 1986 and its sequel, The Fly II in 1989, the project lay dormant. In 2009, Fox was in talks with Cronenberg for his sequel, but it fell through due to budgetary disagreements.

Dillard would co-write the script with writing partner Alex Theurer. They would definitely bring a fresh look at the story, but there is no word on how much they may change the story. They have some background in the horror genre with their drama thriller Sleight. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival’s Next section last year and was acquired by WWE Studios and Jason Blum’s Blumhouse. The story is a blend of science fiction and street magic story set in Los Angeles. A young street magician is left to care for his sister and turns to drug peddling to keep a roof over their heads. When he gets in too deep and his sister is kidnapped, he is forced to use his skills to rescue her. Sleight will be released April 28.

Currently the two are in pre-production on Sweetheart, also for Blumhouse. Alex Hyner helped them co-write the horror-thriller that stars Dope’s Kiersey Clemons. They will most likely finish this project before diving into The Fly.